Apple’s first store set to open in Istanbul

Published on May 20, 2013

Consumer technology market analysts expect Apple to start taking a big bite from the emerging market for its products here when it opens its first store in Istanbul in a few months.

Ergogan disregards Kerry request to postpone Gaza visit

Published on April 22, 2013

Turkey's prime minister will go ahead with a planned visit next month to Gaza, despite a request from US Secretary of State John Kerry to postpone.

Hiding Israel

By David Suissa
Published on August 8, 2012

There are two ways to look at the Obama administration’s decision to exclude Israel from its global anti-terrorism initiative. If you recall, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traveled to Istanbul last month to convene the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the group of invitees included 29 countries and the European Union -- but not Israel.

U.N.‘s Ban Ki-moon says bold steps needed to stop Syrian violence

Published on June 1, 2012

The escalating violence in Syria shows the urgent need for the international community to take bolder steps, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a news conference in Istanbul on Friday.

Thousands in Istanbul rally against Israel

Published on June 1, 2012

Thousands of Turks in Istanbul rallied against Israel Thursday, marking the second anniversary of an Israel Defense Forces raid on the Mavi Marmara ship that was part of a flotilla that claimed to be carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Iran to offer ‘new initiatives’ in nuclear talks

Published on April 11, 2012

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said his country was prepared to offer "new initiatives" at upcoming nuclear talks in Istanbul.

World powers to meet Iran in Istanbul this week

Published on April 9, 2012

Nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers will be held this week in Istanbul, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced.

Israel soccer team playing in Turkey, despite tensions

Published on September 15, 2011

An Israeli soccer team arrived in Istanbul to play a Turkish team, despite tensions between the two countries.

Israelis detained in Istanbul

Published on September 5, 2011

About 40 Israelis who arrived in Istanbul were detained and questioned.

Historic Istanbul synagogue reborn as vibrant arts center

Published on November 11, 2010

The Haskoy quarter of Istanbul, which overlooks the historic Golden Horn inlet of the Bosphorus, was once the site of the gardens and pavilions of the Ottoman Empire sultans. In the late 15th century, it became the refuge for thousands of Jews who were expelled from Spain and Portugal and who built dozens of synagogues in the area. Today, Haskoy is a gritty industrial area where barely a trace of the former synagogues remains -- except for one.

Turkish Jews Dig Out After Bombs

By Yigal Schleifer
Published on November 20, 2003

Yoel Ulcer was so set on helping Istanbul's Jewish community that he could hardly wait to turn 18, when he could join the corps of volunteer guards that stands outside synagogues and Jewish institutions in Turkey's commercial capital.

Attacks Bolster Turks’ Will to Fight Evil

By Engin Ansay
Published on November 20, 2003

Following the dastardly attacks in Istanbul targeting Turkish Jews in two synagogues on Nov. 15 that left 25 innocent people dead and several hundred Turkish Jews and Muslims severely injured (see Cover Story, p. 18), I was asked what this all means for Turkey.

It means sadness and sorrow for the lost lives and the loved ones left behind; it certainly means outrage; but it also means determination to fight against this greatest evil of terrorism. It is a terrorism that has no boundaries, that makes no distinction, but is hungry for creating fear and intimidation, and it has no respect for the central and sacred pillars of all universal principles -- respect for life and the right to live.

Jews’ Long History in Turkey

By Yigal Schleifer
Published on November 20, 2003

The Jewish presence in Turkey usually is dated to 1492, when the Ottoman emperor Beyazit II welcomed Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition to his territory. In fact, though, Jewish life in the area has been traced back to at least the fourth century B.C.E.